This invention relates to an orienting holder for containers that are being processed on an automated processing line. This invention also relates to a method of holding a container at a particular orientation on a container processing line. More particularly this invention relates to a holder that stabilizes and moves a container along a processing line, such as a filling line, and in addition holds the container in a preset orientation throughout processing. This will allow the container to be in the proper orientation with regard to applying a closure and for any subsequent operations.
Holders, such as pucks, are used in the manufacturing of a variety of products. However, a main use is in the filling and handling of containers. Many containers are filled with a product on an automated filling line. These filling lines operate at filling speeds of 50 to 300 containers per minute or more. The containers if substantially rectangular can move along the filling line without a holder by each container being stabilized by the trailing container. In order to maintain such containers in the proper orientation the containers will have bumping flats. These are flat areas on containers where the containers will be in contact, one to the other. This will prevent a “shingling” of the containers on the filling line. However, for containers of unstable, unique or decorative shapes, or for containers which are substantially circular in cross-section, a holder usually will be used. This particularly is the case where the container subsequent to the filling must be maintained in a particular orientation for applying a closure, labeling, case packing or for some other operation. A holder also will properly orient the container with regard to a filling line filling nozzle. This will prevent filling errors and spills on the filling line.
Pucks are a type of holders for containers and are available in various shapes and types. The type and shape will be dictated by the shape of the container being filled and the requirements of the filling line. In general pucks will have a base which is adapted to fit onto the filling line and an inner area for placement of the container. This inner area can be a recess within the puck into which the container will fit. The puck can have a surrounding wall that extends only around the base of the container or that substantially encloses the container. In addition the puck can be comprised of the base and only two upwardly extending arms to support the container. This type of puck is known as a “goal post” or a “labeling” puck. A variety of such pucks are available from suppliers such as Advantage Pucks Technologies of Corry, Pa.
Various container holders and container transfer devices are disclosed in the patent prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,762 discloses an article holder and transferring device. Here there is a plurality of holders with each holder having four gripper arms. The gripper arms will move toward a container located within a recess of the device to grip and hold the container as needed in an operation and will move away from the container to release the container. The gripper arms are disclosed as rods with attached plates. U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,421 discloses the holding of a container for processing using a plurality of extending flexible members. The flexible members can hold the container in a set orientation. In addition the flexible members can accept containers with some variation in the shape of the containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,762 discloses carrier pucks for a container and for a closure for the container. The carrier puck for the container is sized to accommodate the container with no other particular features. The carrier puck for the closure has four gripper members that are secured to pivoting gripper arms. The gripper members are rollers which are comprised of a solid polymeric material such as polyurethane. These four gripper rollers rotate to secure the closure to the container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,110 discloses a holder for a cell that is being assembled. It consists of a rigid outer portion and an elastic inner portion to accommodate and hold the cell during its manufacture. There is no use of rollers.
Although these prior art documents disclose various structures for pucks and various holders, nevertheless there is still a need in the art for improved orienting holders for containers which are to be processed on a line such as a filling line. In particular, there is still a need for an orienting holder which can provide for the effective handling of containers on a filling line, and in particular containers of a unique shape such as those having a substantially circular cross-section.
The invention aims at least partially to solve the problem of reliably and securely holding the container in its initial set orientation with regard to its surface bearing the primary graphics while moving along the filling line and while a non-round closure is being attached, such as a closure having a combined pump dispenser.
There is also a need in the art for an orienting holder which can reliably and securely prevent the container from rotating while on the filling line, in particular in an application in which a spout of each successively attached pump dispenser of a series of containers will need to be in a set orientation with regard to the container graphics, and each container needs to have the spout of the attached pump dispenser in the same orientation for subsequent operations such as case packing.
Further, there is also a need in the art for an orienting holder which can provide uniformity of the container structure and labeling which in turn can provide for a neater product array when a number of identical products are displayed on a store shelf.
Also, there is a need in the art for an orienting holder which can provide the ability to quickly insert and to remove containers from the orienting holders and the filling line for case packing.
Finally, there is a need in the art for a low cost solution for improved round container handling on a processing line such as a filing line.